Despite the insane number of drivers arrested during the holiday period, the number of road accidents in Thailand has not decreased compared to last year’s figures.
We can safely conclude that drunk driving is still the leading cause of road accidents during the holidays.
The National Council for Peace and Order says it arrested 21,690 drivers for driving under the influence of alcohol between Dec. 25 and Jan. 2.
Some 3,046 of these drivers had their vehicles confiscated and immediately pulled off the road, in a move to get tough with drunk driving.
A total of 2,477 motorcycles and 569 cars were also confiscated, reported Thairath.
Meanwhile, the latest toll from Road Safety Thailand concluded there were 2,753 road accidents during the holiday period between Dec. 29 and Jan. 2 – an 11 percent increase from last year.
This year, 292 were people killed and 2,855 were injured on the road, with Chiang Mai crowned the province with the highest number of accidents.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha expressed satisfaction with the road safety measure despite the high number of fatalities, noting there were also more vehicles on the roads this year.
Check out our photo essay feature on the “7 Dangerous Days” where a Coconuts photographer followed a rescue crew during the Songkran holiday.
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